Dia Mirza is an Indian model, actress, producer, and social worker who predominantly works in Hindi films. Mirza won the title of Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000. She made her acting debut with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. She subsequently featured in films including Dus, Lage Raho Munnabhai and Sanju.

 

Bio/Wiki
Birth name	Dia Handrich
Profession(s)	Actress, Model, Film Producer & Social Activist
Physical Stats & More
Height [1]	in centimeters- 168 cm in meters- 1.68 m in feet & inches- 5’ 6”
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Bollywood Film: Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001)as 'Reena Malhotra' Bengali Film: Paanch Adhyay (2012) TV: Ganga - The Soul of India (2016) Web Series: Kaafir (2019) As a Producer: Love Breakups Zindagi (2011)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• 2020: Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival - Award for Best actress for the web series “Kaafir” • 2019: Filmfare Glamour & Style Awards for Woman of Style & Substance • 2019: IWM Digital Awards - Best actor female (critics) for the web series “Kaafir” • 2017: The ‘Valerian of Environmental Issues’ by the makers of the film “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” • 2016: Rotary Awards - The Woman of Substance • 2016: Femina Miss India - Ms. Eternal Beauty • 2011: Women’s Achievement Award • 2011: Green Globe Honor for Extraordinary Work by a Public Figure • 2005: Great Women Achiever Award for Beauty
Personal Life
Date of Birth	9 December 1981 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2020)	39 Years
Birthplace	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Zodiac sign	Saggitarius
Signature
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
School	• Vidyaranya High School, Hyderabad • Nasr School, Hyderabad • Stanley Girls High School, Hyderabad
College/University	Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad
Educational Qualification	Bachelor of Arts from Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad
Religion	Her father was a German Catholic, her mother is a Bengali, and her step-father is a Dakhini Muslim. Despite these factors, she follows Hinduism. [2]
Food Habit	Non-Vegetarian
Hobbies	Cooking, Reading, Doing Photography & Travelling
Tattoo(s)	'Aazad' imbibed on the wrist of her left hand
Controversies	• In 2006, after Dia, along with Aamir Khan, took a stand against the Sardar Sarovar Project, BJP workers, led by Mayor Dhansukh Bhandari organized a protest against the actors for their ‘anti-dam statements.’ [3] •In February 2015, a war of words erupted between Dia Mirza and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi over the issue of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remark that conversion to Christianity was the main reason behind Mother Teresa's service to the poor people. [4] • In 2016, in context with the water shortage in Maharashtra, Dia tweeted, "The irony of the times we live in: farmers commit suicide due to drought and people waste water to ‘play’ #Holi. Go ahead call me anti-Hindu." However, she had to go through the detestation of the people. Later, she had to apologize; clarifying her stance, she said, [5] "As a citizen of India, I have an equal respect for all religions, festivals and customs that are celebrated in our country. It has never been my intention to hurt the sentiments of any individual or community. If in the event that my tweet has done so, I apologize unequivocally. “That said, the fact remains that various parts of our country are experiencing a severe water shortage. According to a report I read in April last year, the drought in Maharashtra has hit over 90 lakh farmers and counting. In October last year, the Maharashtra government officially declared a ‘drought-like condition’ in 14,708 of the state’s 43,000 villages." • In 2019, during the ongoing CAA protest in India, Dia Mirza expressed her views on the subject and said, "My mother is a Hindu, my biological father was a Christian, my adopted father – a Muslim. In all official documents, my religion status stays blank. Does religion determine I am an Indian? It never did and I hope it never does. #OneIndia #India" However, this did not go well with the netizens, and they lashed out at her; claiming that she didn’t have any knowledge of the act and was trying to act smart. [6] • In September 2020, after her name appeared in some reports, which claimed that drug peddlers took her name during the investigation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which was probing Bollywood drug row in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, Diya Mirza took to Twitter to refute these claims as baseless. In a series of tweets, she said, "I would like to strongly refute and categorically deny this news as being false, baseless and with mala fide intentions. Such frivolous reporting has a direct impact on my reputation being besmirched and is causing damage to my career which I have painstakingly built with years of hard work. I have never procured or consumed any narcotic or contraband substances of any form in my life. I intend to pursue the full extent of legal remedies available to me as a law abiding citizen of India. Thanks to my supporters for standing by me." [7]
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Boyfriends	• Salman Khan (rumoured) • Vashu Bhagnani (Film Producer; rumoured) • Kunal Kapoor (rumoured) • Bunty Sachdeva (Musician) • Sahil Sangha • Mohit Raina (rumoured)
Marriage Date	• First Marriage: 18 October 2014 • Second Marriage: 15 February 2021
Marriage Place	• First Marriage: Sahil Sangha's farmhouse in Chattarpur, Delhi • Second Marriage: Dia Mirza'a residence in Bandra, Mumbai Note: The wedding function of Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi was conducted by a priestess.
Family
Husband/Spouse	• First Husband: Sahil Sangha (m.2014-d.2019) • Second Husband: Vaibhav Rekhi (businessman)
Parents	Father- Frank Handrich (Graphics and Industrial Fair Designer, Architect, Artist, and Interior Designer based in Munich) Step-father- Ahmed Mirza (died in 2003) Mother- Deepa Mirza (Interior designer, Landscaper)
Favourite Things
Food	Hyderabadi Biryani, Nihari, Khatti Daal, Kheema
Cuisines	Punjabi, Hyderabadi, European, Italian, Thai
Book(s)	“The Silk Roads: A New History of the World” by Peter Frankopan, “A New Earth: Create a Better Life” by Eckhart Tolle, “The Faraway Tree” by Enid Blyton, “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd, “The Motorcycle Diaries” by Che Guevara
Actor	Amitabh Bachchan
Travel Destination(s)	Machu Picchu in Peru, Leh, Cambodia, Africa
Style Quotient
Car Collection	• Lexus LX • BMW X1

 

Some Lesser Known Facts About Dia Mirza

• Dia was born to Frank Handrich, a German Catholic, and Deepa, a Bengali Hindu. When Dia was four-and-a-half years old, her parents got divorced, and her mother got remarried to Ahmed Mirza, a Dakhini Muslim from Hyderabad. Dia took her step father’s surname. She is the only child of her parents.
  

• While studying in school, she worked as a marketing executive for a multimedia firm, Neeraj’s Multi-media Studio and earned a monthly salary of Rs. 5000. At the same time, she worked as a model for brands like Lipton, Wall’s ice cream, and Emami.

• When she had just finished her schooling, she got a call from one of her family friends, (who worked at the Times of India office in Hyderabad) who told Dia about the Miss India contest. She sent her portfolio and was selected for the contest.

• Her mother was against Dia participating in the Miss India contest because she wanted Dia to study in a law school in Bangalore. However, her step-father convinced her mother to let her participate in the contest.

• In 2000, she became the second runner up at the pageant, Femina Miss India. She also won the title of Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Avon, and Miss Close-Up Smile at the pageant.
  

• Later, she was sent to Miss Asia Pacific, where she won the pageant and brought India its third win in the international beauty pageants in the year 2000 (Lara Dutta won Miss Universe, and Priyanka Chopra won Miss World).
  

• In 2000, she first appeared in Babul Supriyo and Alka Yagnik‘s song ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’, opposite Akashdeep Saigal.

• After making her acting debut with the 2001 film “Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein,” she acted in many box office hits such as, Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge (2002), Dum (2003), Tumsa Nahin Dekha – A Love Story (2004), Parineeta (2005), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), Salam Mumbai (2016), and Sanju (2018).

• In 2000, she also appeared in the Tamil film “En Swasa Kaatre.”

• She co-owned a production called “Born Free Entertainment” with her ex-husband, Sahil Sangha. Films like, Love Breakups Zindagi (2011) and Bobby Jasoos (2014), and the web series, Mind the Malhotras (2019) were produced under the banner. After getting divorced from her husband, she launched her production house “One India Stories” in December 2019.
  

• Over the years, Dia has evolved as a social activist; fighting for various social causes. She has been involved Cancer Patients Aid Association, Spastics Society of India, PETA, CRY, and NDTV Greenathon and has worked with the government of Andhra Pradesh to spread awareness about HIV and prevention of female foeticide.
  

• In 2010, she adopted two cheetah cubs at the Prince of Wales zoological park in Lucknow.

• Dia, along with Aamir Khan came out openly in support of Narmada Bachao Andolan.

• On 5 June 2017, on the occasion of World Environment Day, she was appointed as the Brand Ambassador the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). She has lent her support to WTI in their campaigns and is also one of the founding member’s of the Club Nature initiative of WTI.
  

• Dia Mirza has endorsed the brand “The Body Shop” for their initiative on the ban on animal testing and propagation of recycled packaging and natural products.

• Dia Mirza has also been appointed as the eco ambassador for Panasonic, ambassador for Swachh Bharat Mission’s youth-based ‘Swachh Saathi’ programme, first artist ambassador for Save The Children India, and UN Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India.
  

• There is a leopardess at the Lucknow Zoo named after Dia Mirza, the zoo-keepers named her after Dia Mirza because they rescued the leopardess from Mirzapur. The leopardess gave birth to two cubs and the zoo officials requested Dia to give them names, Dia named them Ashoka and Nakshatra.